Author's Note: Sorry! I'm such a slowpoke... argh... :) but I'm not goin' ta make excuses and stuffs. Hey, I really appreciate your reviews and for that, may I humbly present you chapter 3. Thanks for the reviews again!!!
On with the story!
Chapter 3Help! Anyone! Please...
Rikku thought desperately for help as she swam towards the surface. She was running out of air and she knows that she's going to die if she gives up. The only thing that was keeping her alive was her determination and strength... and the memory of those who cares for her. She knows that they're going to be sad if she leaves them now... if she didn't rely on her own strength... if she gives up her life.
I don't need to be rescued... I KNOW I can do this...
She told herself bravely as she forced her legs to propel her body upward towards the surface.
She was almost there but her strength was already leaving her- the air on her lungs was running short.
I... can't... give up...
She told herself. And so, with one last thrust upward, her hands reached for the surface hoping that she could hold on to something so she could pull herself up to safety.
Almost there...
She told herself as she felt the warm breeze on the surface caress the skin of her hand. Sinking back on the water below, Rikku closed her eyes and propelled upward with what was remaining of her strength and then she snapped. Her body fell limp with the scorches of the agonizingly cold waters that was engulfing her harshly, pulling her down to the abyss below- killing her.
No...
With her last strength, she tried to raise her hand up to the surface again for one final struggle- her last hope to live. She reached her hand up. The interval of it was in fact a mere two seconds but to her- with the agonizing feel of torture beclouding her body- it almost felt like a century. She knew that there was nobody there to save her but she also knew that she could hope... and she just couldn't believe that this one last hope of her would mean life and death. She finally reached the surface and all hope faded...
No one was there... she was alone...
Her hands fell back in the icy cold water, falling down with her into the abyss... until she felt a strong and warm grip on her wrist that made her feel oddly secure... someone was pulling her up. Someone was rescuing her...
Someone...
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"Wake up!!"
Rikku's eyelids opened and saw Paine and Yuna standing beside her bed; both of them bearing the looks of a confused mother hen. The commanding voice of Paine rang through her mind as she looked at her two best buds in the whole world, as she would often refer to them.
"You're dreaming again." Yuna said, gripping Rikku's petit wrist gently. Rikku blinked twice; her senses were still in bliss and it took her a good thirty seconds before she finally registered everything. Yuna's grip on her wrist was warm and secure like the one in her dream but what it lacked was the powerful feeling...
It can't be Yunie...
She thought and looked up at Paine wonderingly. "What now?" Paine asked, raising an eyebrow at her currently bewildered state.
"Did..." Rikku's voice faltered as she blinked again and stared at her friends. "Yunie..." She said looking at her cousin with a blank expression. "Did anybody else touch me before you did?"
Yuna looked confusedly at Rikku and then towards the confused Paine. "I'm afraid no..." She confirmed and then patted her cousin's head worryingly. "You were murmuring for help, Rikku. What were you seeing in your dream?" Yuna's voice rivaled the softness of a feather and she was holding her with a gentle gaze as if her cousin knew exactly the things that have been ruining her cheerful mood.
"I... I was drowning..." She began narrating the whole dream to Yuna and succeeded in completing the whole detail. Rikku told them everything that she told Lulu with the exception of the newest additive in her dream... her unknown rescuer. "When I woke up, I could still feel the cold water around me but my wrist felt oddly warm and... I could feel somebody's hand around it." Rikku looked helplessly at Paine and Yuna who was staring at her blankly. "I know it was just a dream but when I woke up, it really felt real. It just went away when Yunie held my wrist a minute ago."
Paine and Yuna went silently still as they stared at Rikku. They were trying to absorb everything in their head. The only thing noticeably noisy around them was the slow and alternate pacing of Barkeep and Darling from the counter below. After a few seconds of silence, Rikku let out an amused chuckle. "This is silly. Maybe I just had too many chocolate milk drink last night..." She said and immediately stood up from bed with a cheerful smile. "I'm going to go and take a cold shower to clear my head. See you at the bridge later!" Without waiting for any reply, Rikku grabbed her clothes and towel from the side and bolted down for the showers.
Yuna and Paine remained silent as they were even after Rikku left for the showers. They were gazing at the ground for a while thinking of something and then after a few seconds, Yuna looked up at the warrior who was sitting on the sofa. "What do you think?"
"Well, she told us yesterday morning: A dream's a dream." Paine answered but her uneasiness deceived her words.
"I know but Rikku isn't like that at all... Now I'm REALLY worried, Paine." Yuna said as she walked towards the deck's window and stood beside it.
"What do you plan on doing then? Tell her to stop dreaming?" After Paine let out her dry humor again, Yuna chuckled. "If we can do that then we won't have any problems..." Yuna said.
"It's not the dream, Yuna." Paine said, sighing heavily as she sank back on the sofa comfortably, looking exhausted. "I doubt that Rikku has really gotten over that... that... unfeeling swine."
"I thought you like Rikku's "no-talk" state? What happened?" Yuna inquired as she glanced back at Paine with an amused smile.
Paine frowned at the brunette standing next to the window and sighed heavily. "I may not look it but I do care for her. We've been friends for more than five years now and there... I'm repeating myself all over again. Remind me not to do it, please? I'm not sounding like myself lately. It's making me feel queasy."
Yuna chuckled when she noticed that it wasn't at all like Paine to say it but her admittance made it seem rather sweet. Everybody has their soft side and this definitely is Paine's. "I should tell Rikku to continue on repeating her dreams and rely on Gippal for hurting her..." Paine threw a confused glance at Yuna, trying to get some sense into her words. "That way, you would remain as the Paine that you are now." Yuna chuckled again.
"Don't push it, Yuna..." Paine said with a faint smile on her lips, tossing a pillow over at Yuna's head. The ex-summoner caught it on time and tossed it back at her gray-haired friend who was now raising an eyebrow as a thought occurred. "But you know..." Paine said placing the pillow properly on the sofa, "I really enjoyed hurting that swine after he did that unforgivable thing to Rikku. If you hadn't restrained me, I would've sliced him to pieces." Paine's face looked calm and serious though the tone of her voice was half joking. But when Yuna turned to look at Paine's crimson eyes, it clearly states a very different story: A scary one. "What do you think that pig is up to now?" Paine asked; her eyes bearing the same glitter of her sword as memories of bad things flooded her head.
"Perhaps he's with the stupid 'damsel in distress' that she left Rikku for." Yuna frowned at the thought. Normally, Yuna was the kind of woman who has a gentle nature and she wouldn't go on hurting people without definite reasons... and Gippal... she really has a definite reason to trigger-happy him to pieces. The only restrain that she got was that Paine and Gippal are good friends and she knew that Paine would be hurt if she did.
Imagine her shock when Paine marched towards the bridge to tell- more like order- Brother and Buddy to turn around and head for Djosé Temple.
FLASHBACK:
TWO YEARS AGO...
"Turn around and go to Djosé Temple. NOW." Paine's commanding voice boomed across the bridge, making Buddy, Brother and Tidus stare at her in a bewildered manner.
"How dare you order your lead-... um... er..." Brother's voice faltered as his gaze fell on Paine's deadly one-hand sword. Her grip on it was tight and when Buddy and Brother looked up into her eyes, it reflected the glitter of her one-hand sword: sharp and definitely deadly. They didn't want Paine to explode her anger on them- especially with that sharp sword on her hand and that look on her face. Tidus immediately stepped aside, clearing her path. Buddy and Brother immediately scrambled towards their post and headed for Djosé Temple.
"Paine! What are you going to do? Why are we here?" Rikku innocently asked as she, Tidus and Yuna trudged behind the warrior towards Djosé Temple. Her eyes were still red and wet from tears and she tried to dry them before they even encounter Gippal. She didn't want him to see this... she didn't exactly want HIM of all people to know that she's feeble and helpless. No matter how many times Rikku asked her crimson-eyed friend, she just wouldn't say even a little hint about what she was going to do.
Rikku looked at Yuna and Tidus questioningly and she noticed that they were afraid of something... something that she doesn't know and then definitely, it confused her to the point of rage. "What exactly is going on here!?" Rikku pouted down as she looked at Paine and the others. When she finally thought that she's not going to get any answers from anyone, she figured out that the best thing to do was follow them and wait for the next thing to happen...
And she didn't even have to wait for a long time to figure out what was happening although the scene that occurred comforted her more than it shocked her...
"Hey! The Gullwings are here... is it about the diggi-?!" A fist flew over Gippal's smiling face before he could even get the chance to finish his greetings. "Ouch! Paine?! What was that- Argh! Geez!?" Gippal stood up immediately after receiving a kick from Paine. He ran around Djosé Temple, looking for a place to hide before Paine could actually tear him to pieces with her sword. He didn't exactly know what was going on but when he fell down on the floor and looked up to see Rikku's red and wet eyes, wearing a shocked and confused look in it, Gippal knew the reason behind every blow... and he instantly knew that Paine MEANS business now. She's really going to kill him.
Every Al Bhed in the Machine Faction was looking at Gippal and Paine, flabbergast at their leader's current situation. Rikku, Yuna and Tidus were staring at the two in shock. They didn't know that Paine would go to the extremes just to get revenge for a friend. It was sort of touching if it weren't for the horrid sight of somebody running around with a blade sticking up behind his ass. After a minute of losing their senses, Yuna and Tidus immediately ran towards Paine who was ready to strike down the exhausted Gippal into two.
"Paine! Calm down!" Tidus dashed beside Paine and intercepted her sword with his. "I'm sure he got your point already." Tidus explained, trying to calm Paine down.
"You'll regret it later if you kill him... he's still your friend, you know." Yuna said, placing her hands gently on Paine's gloved hand.
Gippal's eye was round and he was shaking in fear. Just seeing Paine's eyes like that was enough to confirm that she's really serious. Much to his relief, Paine sighed heavily and calmly marched away towards the Celsius. "Are you going to stand there all day looking like that?" Paine said seriously and glanced at Rikku's still shocked face with a smile. Rikku snapped back to reality and looked back at Gippal and then back to Paine. She was still shocked about the thing that had just occurred and if it weren't for Tidus and Yuna again, Rikku would still be standing in front of Djosé Temple still in awe about the horrifyingly funny yet touching revenge, courtesy of Paine.
When Rikku looked back at Gippal, he was still lying on the ground. The other workers of the Machine Faction were chuckling- if not laughing- and they definitely weren't helping him to stand up. Whatever their reason was for not helping Gippal, she didn't really know and didn't care. The thing that was on her mind right now is the touching deed of Paine for her. She didn't know that Paine cares for her that much and even if she did, she didn't give a bloody thought that Paine would do THIS for her... and to think that Gippal is also one of her closest friends.
After that incident in Djosé that morning, Rikku looked around the Celsius for Paine and she saw her on the Deck. "Watcha doing?" Rikku bouncily greeted her "avenger". She perfectly knew that Paine wouldn't answer so instead of repeating her question Rikku skipped in front of Paine with a smile and went on to her real intention.
"Thanks..." Rikku said with a cool and confident voice. "You made me feel a lot better now."
"For what?" The normal nonchalant voice of Paine rang through the deck's open space. She was refusing to make any eye contact with the blonde beside her.
"I didn't expect you to do that for me, you know." Rikku smiled at her friend and was almost in tears when she remembered the incident in Djosé that afternoon. "That was really touching."
Paine frowned. It was obvious that she feels a sisterly affection for Yuna and Rikku but it would definitely take a lifetime of convincing and well-planned methods before they make her admit that she really does. "I just didn't like the idea of him hurting... any girl..." Rikku chuckled amusedly at Paine's sudden alteration of words. Knowing Paine, she was always the type of a person who was sure-footed in everything that she does, including her words but this time, she faltered... which clearly means that she's having a hard time thinking of things to settle everything as they usually were.
"Aww... You care for me, don'tcha?" Rikku asked, trying to force Paine to admit that she does care. "Come on... admit it!"
Paine remained quietly still, trying to evade her friend's question. She knew the answer and it's definitely a yes for her. Why would a person go through all of that trouble just to make her friend happier anyway?
Irritation because she won't stop crying...
No, that reason doesn't feel right for her as she thought. Gippal is a close friend of hers and she definitely knew that she wouldn't just barge in Djosé to teach him a thing or two and warn him not to touch Rikku and hurt her ever again. The event that afternoon made her realize that she did care for Rikku as a sister and she would definitely hurt anybody who would hurt her or Yuna again... even if it is Tidus. But she decided not to tell anyone about it... and after two years, she still wouldn't admit that she really cares deeply for her friend.
END OF FLASHBACK…Paine frowned when Yuna mentioned the girl that Gippal chose over Rikku. "Let them have a life... I don't want to talk about them. They're out of this story anyway..." Paine said, thinking over the things that Rikku is going through. "What do you think about this new mission that our 'leader' has in store for us?" Paine said, emphasizing in mockery the leader part.
"I have no idea... Tidus is already at the bridge trying to sort things out in Shinra's throne..." Yuna chuckled at her own joke remembering the kid's working area before he left the Gullwings five years ago. "I wonder how Shinra's doing right now?" Yuna wondered as she smiled at the thought of the little genius.
"He's just a kid..." Paine chuckled and glanced over at Yuna who was chuckling too. "What would a kid like him do?"
After much thought, Yuna finally decided to give Paine her hypothesis. "Studying...?"
"Bingo..." Paine stood up when she heard the door of the shower room open. "I think she's already done..." Without waiting for any answer, Paine jumped down and landed in front of Rikku.
"Hey! You waited for me!" Rikku said and turned her smiling gaze at Yuna after she landed from her jump.
"Hurry up and fix your hair. We'll be waiting for you at the bridge." Yuna said with a smile and walked with Paine towards the bridge.
"Gotcha!" Rikku shouted back in confirmation and immediately ran back up to do her braids.
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Rikku entered the bridge with a bright face and a huge smile plastered on her face. When everybody saw her current mood, they definitely knew that they got their Rikku back even just for a while. For them, that was the very first sign of improving progress after two years of total devastation. She jumped down on the railing and ran towards Buddy's station. "What's this mission that you're talkin' about?" She asked curiously as she tried to sneak a peek in Buddy's console.
"Intercepting sphere waves..." Buddy said with the usual signature bright smile on his face.
"Where?" Rikku asked in excitement as she looked around the faces of her friends who were bearing a blank expression. "Ahehe... where?" The excitement dissolved from her face as she wonderingly looked at their faces for answers.
"Somewhere..." Buddy answered, scratching his head with a shrug. "That's the problem. We don't exactly know where the sphere wave is coming from. I thought that it was coming from the bottom of the ocean but now it looks like it's located above sea level..." He explained.
"Maybe it's secured in a box floating around the sea..." Brother suggested. Everybody threw a blank look at him and then to Buddy.
"Hey... it can't be floating around because the sphere wave is steady. Something fishy is going on around here unless that sphere is floating steadily in mid air." Buddy explained calmly at Rikku's asinine brother.
"Ooh, ooh! I know! I know! Let's follow the trail of that sphere wave and it'll be as good as ours! We just might discover an uncharted island there and we could name it after ourselves!" Rikku suggested, punching her fist up in the air and almost dancing in excitement.
"The Gullwings Island... Not bad... Not bad at all." Buddy agreed in a cool but obviously over-excited voice. "What do you say Gullwings?" He asked the others.
Yuna, Paine and Tidus nodded in agreement. They were all smiling at the thought of the adventure and more so, the discovery of a new isle of Spira.
"I am the leader! I make the decisions around here!" Brother interrupted Rikku's little suggestion. "Gullwings! Here's your order! We will follow that sphere wave and then see if there is an island out there. We will name it after ourselves with ME as the leader!!"
"He just repeated what I said..." Rikku muttered under her pout. Yuna chuckled and patted Rikku's shoulder gently. "No matter!" Rikku said in glee and ran towards the lift.
"Where are you going?" Yuna asked.
"I'll be at the deck!!" She shouted back and ran immediately towards the lift. When she was finally out of sight, Yuna and Paine switched glances and then a small smile formed on their lips.
"Do you need any help there, Tidus?" Yuna asked her fiancé as she peeked at the console in front of Tidus.
Tidus looked up at her with a smile and then looked back at the console. "No thanks. I can handle this one..." He said.
"Okay then... Paine and I will be on the deck with Rikku. If ever you guys need anything, just call us." Yuna said and grabbed Paine's arm towards the lift, avoiding any more questions from the boys.
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Rikku was enjoying the breath of fresh air surrounding the deck. Everybody comes in this part of the airship to think over things that has been clouding their minds and Rikku was no different than the others. She finds comfort in its quietness and the feel of the cool wind brushing through her skin was enough to calm her bruised senses. Rikku looked around with a smile on her lips and breathed the air contently. Peculiar things have been happening to her lately but this day beats all records. The last thing that she expected to feel was being back to her real self and the odd thing is... the main cause was the dream. She doesn't know why but it just felt right being rescued by someone even if you don't even know that someone...
It was strange. The hand that caught her when she was struggling for her life in that dream troubled her more than anything else. She was wondering over and over again about whom that person is ever since she woke up this morning. It can't be Gippal's hand... I bet that meanie would even love to see me drown... She thought as she looked up at the bright morning sky. No... it's not Gippal... It didn't feel like him... I just know that it's not him. Rikku told herself and scratched her head; thinking of any other possible people whom she knows bore the same mark.
And then she frowned when she couldn't squeeze her brain anymore to process out an answer that may solve her wondering.
"Oooh... poopie!" Rikku exclaimed frustratingly and then looked beyond the vast waters of Spira ahead of her. Her thoughts were back on their mission as she excitedly remembered the thing about the island if ever they find one and then the sphere suddenly came across her mind. "I wonder what this sphere is..." She thought out loud and then her eyes shot open as she spotted a small sign of a beach.
"What are you doing?" Yuna's soft-spoken words ran around Rikku's head in light speed as she glanced at her cousin and Paine and then back to the island again- this time, they were closer since it was really getting bigger. "I...just...um...er..." Rikku's gaze repeatedly switched back and forth to her friends and to the island ahead of them. "What is it?" Yuna asked again. Paine immediately walked beside Yuna and saw the island.
"I see..." Paine said her gaze locking at the island ahead of them. "It's the size of Besaid."
"But, but... but if it's THAT big then why didn't Buddy and Brother detected it?" Rikku asked confusedly as she turned back to her friends.
"Yeah... that is strange." Yuna's face was confused, as she looked back at Rikku and then at the island that was now in clearer view.
"Gullwings! This is Buddy! Get out of there immediately!! We're detecting-" Before Buddy could even finish his words, the link was cut off.
"What? What are they detecting?" Rikku asked impatiently, switching glances with Paine and Yuna.
"Why don't you ask them?" Paine said coolly, her weapon on her hand as she eyed a troop of half-masked and armed men blocking the deck's entrance.
"So much for 'Gullwings Island'..." Yuna said, gazing at the men who intruded their airship.
"Aww... great!" Rikku immediately attacked one of the masked soldiers, bringing him down in just a matter of seconds. It took only a few minutes before the intruders' count were cut to a plummeting half: from a dozen to six.
"General! They're pretty good!" One of the attackers finally shouted as he received a beating from Paine's sword.
General? The femme fatal trio wondered and concluded that these men aren't normal bandits at all; they're soldiers of a certain military organization that they haven't heard of... until now.
"That's right! We're pretty AND good so get out of our airship if you know what's best for ya!" Rikku exclaimed as she attacked another of the soldiers. Making her move from the left of the soldier where he was standing, vulnerable to all attacks. In one swift move, Rikku's arms fell to her side and ran towards the attacker slashing him with both of her knives in a move that took almost only an amazing second and a fraction.
Yuna on the other hand, stood on one corner with her guns. She was evading all their sword attacks and then began firing her gun around the soldiers, shooting them down in an instant one after another. After shooting one at close range though, she noticed that the sword that they're using wasn't at all the normal thing that was being used around in the whole of Spira. This one has a trigger of a gun but instead of a gun's nozzle on the end, it extended broadly into a sword with a very sharp edge... And it was scary to be chopped of by something like that.
One of the soldiers, bearing five stars formed in a circle on both his shoulders' metal plate as an insignia stood observing them. Paine noticed the guy and decided to attack him after realizing that he's the head of the group- the honcho of the gang, which means bringing him down would cause the others to move out. Paine swiftly brushed passed the other soldiers whom she sliced down to the ground almost immediately after they charged her until finally, she came face to face with the general.
"I don't fight ladies..." His voice was deep and melodiously soft bearing the coolness of an arrogant bloke.
"Then leave this airship immediately." Paine said, positioning herself to attack the intruder.
"On the contrary..." The general pushed his cloak backward and drew his sword that looked exactly like a mesmerizing katana. "You have someone that we would like to have as our special 'guest'." The general's speed was ridiculously fast that for a moment, Paine thought that he disappeared into thin air. It was a good thing that Paine has an extraordinary presence of mind and she immediately evaded his attack from behind.
"Impressive..." There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he looked back at Paine. "I must say... there are only few people who could avoid my move... I shouldn't take you lightly then."
Paine's eyes narrowed and ran towards her attacker, "I'm not asking you!" She shouted and faked a move on his left side. When he evaded the left side attack, he didn't see Paine's blade swish towards his right side thus, inflicting a serious wound.
"What-?!" The general suffered a direct diagonal slice on his chest; the cloth mask covering half his face fell down- revealing a very shocked facial expression- telling everyone present that it was painful as hell. Blood was flowing slowly and steadily out of it as he looked back at Paine with a hint of amazement and respect instead of the more expected rage and annoyance.
"Hmph..." Paine smirked and then readied her sword for a counter in case he decided to move on her again.
The general stood up and looked down on the deck's flooring with a small smile of amusement. "I see..." The general looked up at Paine.
"Whoa... He's hot you know... If only he wasn't a villain." Rikku whispered to Yuna as the general raised the corner of his lips that seemed like a brilliant small smile. Yuna looked at her cousin in amazement, thinking about how could she think of something like that in a crucial time like this. But that doesn't mean that she didn't agree with Rikku. She was right. He is definitely a hunk with that black-brown hair of his flowing silkily on his head, signs of a well-built body viewed from the torn pieces of clothes that Paine ruined and his eyes are a pair of cool and steely gray.
"We'll settle this score next time..." Even though he was talking to Paine, those pair of steel gray eyes met Yuna's blue and green instead. A menacing grin flashed on his face as he snapped his fingers, awakening his shocked soldiers back to reality as they scrambled again to get the person whom they're after: the High Summoner Yuna.
"Yunie!!" Rikku shouted as she saw the soldiers swiftly grab Yuna from behind. Paine immediately ran towards the soldiers, forgetting her fight with the lead and began attacking those who were stopping Rikku from reaching Yuna.
"Rikku!! Go!" Paine shouted as she cleared a path for Rikku to attack the guy who was holding Yuna. She managed to injure his sword arm and that gave Yuna a very long opportunity to escape. Keeping her composure up in grabs, she immediately flew her feet towards the soldier's groin, making him twist on the ground in pain. The wounded soldier looked up to the general questioningly and as if exchanging thoughts through telepathy, the general nodded and jumped down from the deck and back to their island.
Paine, Yuna and Rikku were busily finishing off the last group of soldiers. Paine was guarding Yuna closely as she fired her ammos and Rikku was standing not far away from them, slashing every soldier that even dared to attack her. Unbeknownst them though, the wounded soldier who was kneeling on the ground swiftly swept Rikku's feet away, making her fall flat on the ground. The soldier that she was fighting immediately grabbed her weapon and tossed it to the other on the far side. Helpless, Rikku resorted to her last medium of defense: her fists.
She immediately got up on her feet and began attacking the soldiers with her bare hands but before she could even lay a fist on the soldier in front of her, her feet was caught by the wounded guy, making her fall flat on the floor once again. "Cooperate and we won't hurt you." The words were softly spoken and Rikku wondered why a man would possess such a strangely feminine way of speaking. Rikku looked up at the soldier and saw two of them having a long and silky black-brown hair. Then she realized that the group wasn't composed of only a single gender... some of them or perhaps two of them are a she; one bearing a pair of gentle blue-green eyes and the other bearing a more piercing green-gray. She struggled to scramble on her feet but the one behind her immediately lifted her on to his shoulder and walked calmly towards the edge of the deck. When Rikku finally realized what he was going to do, she felt relieved rather than distraught.
Yuna is safe.
"Put me down! Put me down you meanie! Put me down!!! Argh! PUT - ME - DOWN!!!!!!" Rikku's voice rang through the air, drawing the attention of everybody in the deck as she struggled to break loose from the powerful grasp of the soldier. She was kicking her feet continuously and her hands were forcefully punching the soldier's back to let go of his grip but he won't even budge a little.
"Rikku!!!" Yuna and Paine exclaimed as the other soldiers followed the lead of the kidnapper. Rikku's continuous struggling voice was heard even after they have jumped in the interval of 2 to 10 seconds and by the time that Yuna and Paine reached the end of the deck, all they heard was Rikku's voice, calling out...
"YUNIE!!!"
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Author's Note: Cliffhangers... (Sighs)... frustrating aren't they? (Grins) Hmm...? What do you think? :P Anyway, I told you I was planning a battle sequence in this chapter. So what do you think? How'd it go? Oh... Please review this one! I really had a hard time thinking of things to let the pieces of the puzzle fall in together! Do it if you want me to continue this thing. Please, please, please review!! :)